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Sunday, 1 May 2016

For 16th Arthouse auction, premium pieces reign

By
Tajudeen Sowole

A 16th
edition of Arthouse Contemporary auction, coming in less than three months
after introducing Affordable sales, is set to prove the resilience of
Lagos art market, even in a troubled economic environment.

The Advent, 2016, Oil on canvas, by Abiodun Olaku.

With Affordable,
held in March, the auctioneers added a third sale, making its auctions
tri-annual. From May 7-8, 2016 the 16th edition takes off with viewing, which
runs into the third day as the sale holds on Monday, 9 at The Wheatbaker Hotel,
Ikoyi, Lagos.

Having
separated the Affordable - works that sell below 500,000 - from the
premiums, there is an indication that the volume of lots has dropped slightly
in number for the coming event. However, the texture or class of lots on sale
keeps going higher, so suggests the caliber of artists featured in the 16th
edition.

In a
preview statement, Arthousenotes that
as contemporary African art moves to become one of the fastest growing global
art markets, the 16th edition "will feature both master works from the
modern period and cutting- edge contemporary art from the region’s most
celebrated artists." The auction house lists works as including "100
lots featuring modern masters such as Ben Enwonwu, Yusuf Grillo, Demas Nwoko,
Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ato Delaquis, Kolade Oshinowo, Abayomi Barber, Gani
Odutokun, Ablade Glover, Ben Osawe, and Akinola Lasekan." Also on display
for the auction are what has been described as leading contemporary artists,
including Rom Isichei, Peju Alatise, Sokari Douglas Camp, Ndidi Dike and Modupe
Fadugba.

Among
the works for sale viewed via soft copies are The Advent, oil on canvas
classic of Abiodun Olaku; Isioma, oil on canvas portrait from Isichei;
oil on board portraiture, Threatened Innocence by Grilo;Obitun Dancers, a 1990 painting by
Enwonwu; and mixed media Purple Period by Alatise.

The
auction, according to Arthouse, will also include three charity lots by artists
Uchay Joel Chima, Obinna Makata, and Lekan Onabanjo, in support of Standard
Chartered Bank’s 'Seeing is Believing', a NG0 that works to prevent avoidable
blindness.

In
recent years, Arthouse Contemporary has expanded beyond its bi-annual auctions
to include the Arthouse Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to
encourage the creative development of contemporary art in Nigeria, and
Arthouse-The Space, which organises exhibitions of contemporary art.
Arthouse-The Space recently opened a solo exhibition of Nigerian artist Victor
Ekpuk, entitled Coming Home, in April 2016, the first solo exhibition of Ekpuk
in Nigeria in over a decade. Arthouse Foundation opens its artist residency
programme in a dedicated building in Ikoyi in April 2016, which will host
artists with live/work studios throughout the year.

Founded in 2007, Arthouse Contemporary is an
international auction house that specialises in modern and contemporary art
from West Africa. With auctions held twice a year in Lagos, Arthouse
Contemporary aims to create awareness of the scope of contemporary art in the
region, encourage international recognition towards its talented artists, and
strengthen the economy of its art market.